Background: Etisalat Afghanistan is a newly established GSM operator in Afghanistan. In May 2006 Telecommunications Corporation [Etisalat of the Unites Arab Emirates] signed an agreement with Afghan authorities in Abu Dhabi, U.A.E. to operate a GSM network across Afghanistan and become the fourth GSM operator in the country. Etisalat Afghanistan is 100% owned by Etisalat U.A.E. Etisalat UAE (the parent company) is the sixth largest company in the Middle East and has subsidiaries in Benin, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Egypt, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Niger Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Togo, Tanzania, Nigeria , Zanzibar, Pakistan and India. Etisalat - Afghanistan Etisalat won the license to operate the fourth mobile services provider in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Etisalat's bid for the license was USD $1.2 billion (AED 4.4 billion) and services were launched in August 2007. Etisalat Afghanistan's headquarters are in Kabul.